The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-08
A ShreWd Young Man.

The year before last bright-look.
ing young man entered a counting.
room in response to an advertisement
for an assistant shipping clerk. He
told the usual tale of how he desired O
position more than wages for the time
being, and was willing to accept q
nominal salary to start in on. The old
merchant was feeling in particularly
good humor that afternoon, and said
pleasantly to the new conner:
swell, sir, what do you consider a
nominal salary? What would you be
willing to accept in the beginning?"
The young man picked at the lining
of his hat with his fingers, and defer
entially replied:
II want to show you sir, that mean
business, and will work for one cent
the remainder of this month, provided
you think it would not be too much to
double my salary each month there.
after"
"That's a novel proposition, surely"
said the old man with q smile. do
you know what you are talking about,
my dear boy?"
"Well, sir, my principal aim is to
learn the business" responded the
young fellow, land I would be willing
to work for nothing, but I'd like to
feel and be able to say that was earn
ing something, you know" -,
"I'll take you," remarked the old
man. Zone cent, two cents, four
cents, eight, SIXTEEN" he enumerated.
"You won't get much for awhile" he
added. He took him up to the cashier.
"This is John Smith" he said. HE
will go to work as assistant shipping
clerk tomorrow. His salary will be
one cent this month. Double it every
month from now on"
"In consideration of my working
for this small salary, might ask you
to assure me position for definite
period ?" inquired John Smith.
1--WE don't usually do that" replied
the governor, "but we can't lose much
on you anyhow, guess, and you look
like an honest fellow. How long do
you want employment"
"Three years, sir, if agreeable to
you."
Well, the old man agreed, and young
Mr.. Smith, on pretense of wanting
some evidence of stability of his place,
got the governor to write out and sign
a paper that he had been guaranteed a
position in the house for three years
on the terms have stated.
He worked along for six months
without drawing a cent. He said he
would draw all his earnings at Christ
mas. The cashier one day thought he
would figure up and see how much
would be coming to the young man.
He grew so interested in the project
that he kept multiplying for the three
years. The result almost staggered
him. This is the column of figures he
took to the old man: First month,
.O1 second, .O2; third, .04; fourth,
.OS; fifth, .l6; sixth, 80; seventh, ga
eighth, SIPS; ninth, $2.56; tenth,
$5.l2; eleventh, $1O.24: twelfth, S20.-
4s; thirteenth, $4O.96; fourteenth,
$sl,92; fifteenth, Sl63.S4; sixteenth,
S327. 7.68; seventeenth, $655.36; eigh-
teen, 81 ,310.72; nineteenth, S2,62l "A ;
twentieth, S5,242.Ss; twenty-first,
SIC, ,4S5. .76: twenty-second, $40, ,971.52 ;
twenty-third, S41, ,942.O4; twenty
fourth, Ss3, ,sS4.Os; twenty-flfth, $751;
twenty-seventh, s67l ,07264; twenty
eighth, 1,342, l45.2s; twenty-ninth ,
So, ,6S4, ,29O.56; thirtieth, $4 ,46S, ,5sl IL;
thirty-first, So, 1876, 1924; thirty.sec-
ond, ST., ,472, ,3M.4S; thirty-third, $34,-
944, ,64S.96; thirty-fourth, $68, 1885,, $685.
90; thirty-fifth, Sl37, ,776, ,59S. "a: thirty
sixth, $275, $50, 1878: total salary for
three wears, S55l, ,l06, ,375. .36.
The governor nearly tainted when
he understood how, even If he were
twice as rich as Vanderbilt. he would
be ruined in paying John Smiths SAL
arY.